


It's A Sin

by BeetleQueen



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Confrontations, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Female Reader, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kinda, Kuchinashi, M/M, Medication, Nanu - Freeform, Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Personal Growth, Physical Abuse, Police Brutality, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Roommates, Sad with a Happy Ending, Self-Acceptance, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self-Medication, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 15:47:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21550657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeetleQueen/pseuds/BeetleQueen
Summary: When I look back upon my lifeIt's always with a sense of shameI've always been the one to blameFor everything I long to doNo matter where or when or whoHas one thing in common, tooIt's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sinIt's a sinPOSTGAME: Guzma gets arrested for the last time. Nanu conveniently looks the other way - but not before contacting Hala in regards to getting the rebel punk some kind of meaning back in his life. Reader comes back to Alola after being away on business to find that Hala has his hands full with not only his grandson, but Guzma and all of his bug pokemon too are under foot.Maybe you can help take the would-be delinquent off his hands since your home has all that extra room..?
Relationships: Guzma (Pokemon)/Reader, Guzma (Pokemon)/You, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 37
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I suck at summaries... Initially this was just meant to be Guzma x Reader for the sake of some explicit funtimes, HOWEVER, it's now become an angsty slow burn with plot...  
> And how can you write Guzma and NOT leave out his tragic past..?  
> Graphic depictions of violence, and sex to come, and the rating will go up in time.

“Which strength..? The fuck is a microgram..?!” Guzma grabbed every pack of HRT patches just in case before taking a few handfuls of testosterone vials. They had long dates on them anyway. He clicked open the next shelf, scanning the birth control tablets. “Plum needs which brand, again?”

 _“Yasmin.”_ After a moment he sees five boxes of it at the back of the shelf, and grabs them hurriedly before stashing those too in his backpack.

“Shit. Which one does Zak need again? Gabapentin, or Pregabalin?”

_“Grab some of both. We just got a new kid last week who needs the other.”_ The voice on the other end instructed. _“100mg Neurontin, and 50mg Lyrica.”_

“Fucking dumbass brand names... is this shit filed by brand or drug?”

_“Drug usually. You’re looking for big white boxes. Black lettering.”_

“You’re really narrowing it down, here...” Guzma huffed, finally coming across the right medicines. “Got ‘em.”

_“Good. Now grab the insulin and get back here ASAP.”_ The line then went dead as the woman hung up.

“Charming.” Guzma tsked.

What else...

He grabbed some Mirtazapine at the last minute, sticking it in his pockets. Would it be reckless to stop to take some now? He’d missed today’s dose.

“Who’s there..?” A voice suddenly sounded in the darkness.

“Shit..!” Guzma raced over to the fridge, grabbing as much insulin as he could and filling the rest of backpack until it could hold no more.

* * *

A trickle of blood ran from his nose down to his lips, and Guzma licked it away. He gave the officer who was responsible for it a lewd grin as they tried to take his mugshot.

"Stop smiling, shithead. Or I'll involve the head of the department."

Guzma continued to smile; he'd learnt that habit far too early on in life - just smile the fuckers down, no matter how hard they hit.

The police officer made to bridge the distance between them again, his fist raised when there was the sound of someone's throat clearing. Guzma's smile doubled when the man in front of him turned around and shrunk back seconds later upon spotting Nanu.

"Didn't have that nosebleed when he came in." Was all the chief of police said, his eyes narrowing into slits and focusing on the officer’s red knuckles. No matter how bad a crime - police brutality was never justifiable. He wasn't running that kind of place. "I'll deal with you later. Get out of my sight."

The officer didn't need telling twice, hurrying from the room, and proceeding to almost trip over the Meowth that had followed Nanu inside.

"I'm transferring him after our interview." The chief muttered once the door snapped shut.

"So he can punch scumbags on _another_ island..?" Guzma cocked an eyebrow.

Nanu’s Meowth wound itself around his calves, nuzzling one of his trainers before playing with the shoelace.

"The only thing he'll be punching is corpses when I send him back to Johto." Nanu paused, a glint in his eye. "They're down one crime scene investigator after the last one retired... And after the shit he saw, no one would blame him." He then grabbed a box of tissues from a nearby desk, and waved it until Guzma finally took a few, holding them against his nose. "Heard his wife left him because of the night terrors."

Guzma then laughed.

"Y'know for a pig, you're alright."

"For the purposes of the tape," Nanu clicked the record button, giving Guzma a knowing look - it meant, back to business. "I am acting police chief Nanu, Ula'ula Island branch. The date is March tenth, and the time is 0:47. The charge is theft, and resisting arrest." Guzma tsked, rolling his eyes. "For the tape, state your name."

"Guzma." He was manspreading and leaning so far back on his chair that Nanu was expecting the kid to take a tumble any second.

"And for the purposes of the tape, do you still consent to lack of a representative, chaperone, or legal advice?"

"Yup." Guzma then went to light a cigarette when Nanu gave him another Look. He pocketed his cigarette packet and lighter with a huff.

Nanu looked through the papers that had been left for him. Cold hard facts weren't much help in cases with youths. There was usually a lot more going on beneath the surface; particularly with Guzma.

Nanu still remembered the sudden shift in the kid from trophy winning high achiever to gang leader all those years ago — and what a surprise it had been. He had a sudden flashback of an eleven year old Guzma on his island challenge, every part the bug catcher with his oversized net in hand, and the knees below his shorts covered in dust and mud.

What was it he’d said... they were comfortable and easy to wear? Funny kid.

Just what the fuck had happened to him?

”It says here that you were picked up looting the late-night pharmacy?”

"Yup." Guzma clicked his tongue, and Nanu gave Guzma a look that seemed to say _continue._ "Team Skull's got- _had_ a lot of kids on prescriptions. Y'know how much those things cost?"

"You know it's wrong to steal." Nanu's tone was like that of a scolding father, and Guzma's whole body prickled with nervous energy. If he hated anything, it was being talked down to.

"No shit, old man." He spat. "But type one diabetes and epilepsy are a bitch. Those kids can't just fucking skip a dose." Nanu resisted the urge to smile; the kid wasn't all bad, then. But neither was he a kid anymore. Was it too late to get him to turn things around..?

"No one is saying they should." Nanu flicked through more of his papers. "It says here that there was contraceptive medication as well as hormone replacement therapy on your person. And antidepressants. Can you explain those?"

"Plumeria's got that endo thing. She needs the pill." He huffed. Nanu's face softened; his own mother had the condition. The only thing that had helped in her case had been a total hysterectomy. Guzma noted the man's silence, and continued, "And the HRT is for the trans kids. Ain't none of 'em got jobs, and healthcare ain't as cheap for humans like it is for Pokemon. You think a bunch of homeless kids can get health insurance easy?" He's practically bristling with anger at the thought of how unfair it all is.

”And the antidepressants in your pockets..?” Nanu wasn’t about to abandon this line of enquiry.

Guzma didn’t answer right away, fidgeting in his seat, but Nanu’s impassive gaze forced the words out of him; if only to get the guy to fucking blink.

”What are you, my fucking therapist..?” Guzma smirked, but the mask of cockiness was slipping, his expression defeated.

”You’re self medicating?”

The question hung in the air for a moment, Guzma looking more and more uncomfortable.

”Is this relevant?” His face was tinged pink now — he was never good at talking about personal shit.

Nanu decided to get back on track. The kid obviously wasn’t ready to talk, and it was naive of him to think he’d get anywhere in one evening.

"You disbanded Team Skull, didn't you?" Guzma grunts a 'yes', if only for the tape, "So why get yourself arrested for them? Unless you're still operating underground?"

"Family’s still family." He whispers. "At least I got to pick this one. I'm all they got."

Nanu thinks about the pros and cons of what he is about to do — and promptly ignores them, going with his gut instead. He turns off the tape, and then stands up and turns around.

Guzma simply stares at the man's back, and then to the confused looking Meowth that is now curled up on the edge of the table.

"Now would be a good time to rifle through the evidence locker." Nanu rolls his eyes to himself. "The insulin is in the fridge, but everything else is still in your backpack." Nanu smirks slightly when he hears the rushed movement of feet.

Guzma gives the police chief, and the nearby door, a cursory glance every now and then as he checks his bag for the medication. Happy that everything is still there, he opens the fridge, grabbing the bag full of glass vials and placing them carefully in his rucksack before slinging it over his shoulder. How long was the cold-chain anyway..? And how long would it take him to get from here back to Po Town..?

"You'd better take that tape, too." Nanu pipes up, still facing the wall with his hands behind his back. "Or at least get your prints all over it so I can blame you when it breaks unexpectedly."

Guzma grins, opening the cassette player, taking great pleasure in ripping the recording ribbon inside to shreds.

"I'll say you overpowered me." Nanu turns then, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, no shit I did, old man." Guzma then heads out of the office window, making a race for the nearest bus.

Nanu gives it a further fifteen minutes before he leaves the room.

* * *

"You've been ages." A young woman with black hair scolds him. She readjusts the glasses on her face as they slip down. "You know how hot this damn island is; all that insulin is useless now."

"Nuh-uh." Guzma pokes his tongue out. "They went straight in the fridge when the police picked me up."

"Police..?!" Plumeria then chimed in with a pout. "You said you were gonna be careful this time!"

"How was I supposed to know the pharmacist stayed late that night. The lights were off and everything." Guzma tsked. "I didn't break the damn cold-chain." He then glowers at the steely looking woman giving him a distrustful glare.

"Well, thank goodness for that, at least." She had already placed everything in the fridge as soon as he'd gotten back, just in case.

Coming out as a lesbian to her usually supportive parents had meant losing her home, and her family all in one night. Not only that, but since her father had cut off her credit cards, there was no money to move closer to university, or to even get a small apartment with an internet connection.

In the first month, she’d been adamant about continuing her dream. She’d squatted in Pokémon centres, and used the local café’s Wi-Fi to turn in overdue assignments.

But she very quickly got an email to contact the course tutor, who told her that as heartbreaking as her situation was, she’d missed too many deadlines to get back on track before the end of the course.

Five years, all for nothing.

Agate had joined Team Skull almost immediately after the phone call. Plumeria had entered the Pokémon centre she was staying at one day, and it wasn't long before they got to talking.

She hadn’t joined solely because the girl was gorgeous; definitely not. That would be shallow...

But it kinda helped. And not only that, Plumeria had been the first understanding person she’d come across since leaving home.

Nurse Joy had been kind about letting her stay the night - but she’d been impossible to talk to. Always telling her to just give her parents a second chance, and to apologise to them.

When she told Plumeria, the Team Skull member was completely incensed.

”She told you to apologise..?! Fuck that. FUCK. THAT.”

Her language was crass, and her attitude was blunt.

Agate was in love.

She had one condition upon joining her new family: she would not be dying her hair, and dressing like a punk.

Guzma allowed it only because of her advanced knowledge of medicines - and the equipment she'd brought with her. Agate's parents had bought her a state of the art laptop as an early present to congratulate her on her soon to be pharmacy degree — and it was the first thing she’d grabbed to pack when leaving for good.

She'd also brought along all of her textbooks; the best of which being the ANF (Alola National Formulary) which listed every drug on the market, it's side effects, what it was used to treat, and all contraindications. Invaluable given how patchy the internet connections were around here...

Plumeria then poked Guzma square in the chest.

"You never said how you got out. I know for a fact you're as broke as me, so you're not on parole. And there's no way with your record that they'd just let you waltz straight out the door."

"I got lucky." Guzma smirks, tickling her chin. He knows how much she hates it.

"Fuck off..." She bats away his hand. "We're family, you asshole - so don't lie to me. How'd you get out?" Her pout shifts into a sincere look of worry. The bloody nose has her wondering if he got into a scuffle to escape. And if that was the case, police cars wouldn't be far behind.

Though the police cells were probably full of rogue Aether employees by now after Lusamine's fall from grace, she was sure the force would jump at the chance to finally lock away Big Bad Guzma.

Before her friend could say anything else, the beep of a car horn caught their attention. Nanu looks over at them from the driver's seat, Hala in the passengers side.

"Don't make me drag you over here by the ear, kid." Nanu calls out gruffly. Plumeria gives the police chief a wary look before looking back to Guzma.

“Not all cops are pigs, I guess?” He shrugs, smiling. “I told ya; I got lucky.”

Plumeria chews her lip thoughtfully. Nanu had somewhat of a history of giving Team Skull far too much leeway, and so her worries subsided.

”Just... don’t become an informant or anything, ya hear me..?” She calls after the young man now traipsing over to the squad car.

”As if!” He yells back, grinning. He’s still grinning when Nanu jerks a thumb towards the backseat. “What? No handcuffs..?” He drawls suggestively with bouncing eyebrows before getting inside. He’s suddenly surrounded by a clowder of Meowths. Guzma recognises the one that was chewing his shoelace as it plops itself down on his lap. It gives him a look, it’s brethren all rubbing against his arms, purring loudly.

Guzma finally relents, scratching the creature behind the ear. Another Meowth takes advantage of the movement, ducking under his arm before rubbing its face too on his hand.

”These ain’t drug sniffing cats, are they..?” Guzma jokes as a smaller one falls off his shoulder and into the hood of his jacket. It stays there, enjoying the makeshift hammock.

”Seatbelt.” Nanu replies, ignoring him. Once Guzma reluctantly buckles himself in — so uncool — Nanu turns around in his seat. “Me and Hala have a proposition for you.”

”Dude, there’s rules against this kinda thing. You should know that; you’re a cop! Besides; the children are watching...” He covers the eyes of one Meowth and Nanu pinches the bridge of his nose, gritting his teeth.

”Can you dial down the bullshit for **five minutes** , kid?” Guzma smirks silently in the backseat, arms folded and face twitching in suppressed laughter. Nanu waits another half a minute, ensuring the boy has shut up. “Hala — out of the kindness of his heart — is willing to train you.”

The silence stretches on; Guzma is thinking it over.

”This training...” Hala and Nanu’s eyes both widen expectantly. “It’s paid, right?”

Both men groan loudly.

”Worth a shot..?” Guzma chuckled. Nanu glares at him via the rear-view mirror. “Fine, fine... I can’t commute from here every day, though.” His tone of voice seems to be angling for some kind of reimbursement for bus fare; it's not like he has a ride pager...

”I have a spare room beside Hau’s.” Hala smiled. Guzma felt his mouth curl downwards in annoyance. Not that peppy kid... Arceus, anything but that.

At least they wouldn’t be sharing a room, he thanked his lucky stars.

”Okay, fine, whatever, offer accepted.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader finally makes an appearance. Guzma is topless at some point. Smol injection of angst.

You disembark from the Charizard's back, both hands coming up to tame your now dishevelled hair. It was always a lot to get used to again given how relaxing the Corviknight taxi service was by comparison.

Hala - a friend of your father - along with Hau were excited to hear all about your six month work placement in Galar.

You knew Iki Town like the back of your hand, and so in no time at all you were outside their home, knocking on the door.

No one answered.

You frowned, whipping out your new Rotom phone. Maybe they forgot what time you were coming?

Just about to hit the call button next to Hala's name, you pause at a sound. The sound repeats itself, and you swear you hear a voice cursing from your ‘uncle’s back garden.

"Language!" That was Hala's voice. You decide to surprise him, scampering around the side of the building towards the yard.

"Why." Guzma huffed, lifting the axe above his head as he punctuated every subsequent word with a chop. "Do. We. Need. So. Much. FIREWOOD?!" He glared at the older man, his bare chest heaving; the entire upper half of his body drenched in sweat.

"We don't."

Guzma then fumbled with the axe which then slipped out of his sweaty hands.

"You however need to rid yourself of all that frustration..."

"Hey, **fuck you** , old man." Guzma seethed, grabbing the lemonade Hau was holding out for him, an amiable smile on the child’s face.

 **"LAN-GUAGE."** Hala roared.

 **"FUCK. YOU."** Guzma bellowed back.

You cleared your throat and both men spun around to face you. Hau shouted your name in excitement, rushing over. You ruffled his hair, a smile already at your lips. "Who's the new guy..?"

Before Guzma could muster up a sufficiently snarky reply, Hau was hanging on your arm, his eyes a-twinkle.

"That's Guzma! We adopted him!"

_"No you didn't..."_

"He was all alone—"

_"No I wasn't—?"_

"Grandpa thinks he could be a kahuna if he wanted! His Pokémon are so strong!" Guzma fought to keep the smug smirk off his face at that. "But... they're super creepy..!" Hau added causing the overgrown bug catcher to frown.

"You think my team are creepy..?" His voice was a low growl.

"I have _eyes."_ Hau blinked up at the man, an unimpressed look on his face that made you laugh each and every time you saw it.

”Boys...” Hala looked nervously to Guzma, knowing a coiled spring when he saw one.

"Then I guess I'd better not ask Golisopod to come out and play." Guzma was holding a Net Ball aloft, and Hau's eyes widened.

"No..?" He backed away.

"Oops. My bad." Guzma promptly dropped the ball at Hau's feet, cackling as the kid screamed before rushing to hide behind his grandfather. Golisopod appeared between you and the thug, and you looked the gigantic beast up and down. Guzma watched you, silently hopeful for another scream, his pulse fluttering for some reason.

"Boy or girl?" You reached up, giving its mandibles a scritch. Golisopod made a chirping sound, his eyes glazing over.

"He's a dude if that's what you mean." Guzma could feel his face heating up, one hand finding the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

The guy seemed like a bit of a dick if you were honest, but at least he had good taste in Pokémon. Hau had said he was a strong trainer... You wondered what other Pokémon he had on his team.

Hau was suddenly behind you, peeking out at the exchange. Hala gave him a little pat on the back in encouragement.

"It's not gonna... bite me, is it?"

"Only if I tell him to." Guzma then rolled his eyes at the pointed look Hala gave him. “I mean, _probably_ not..." Hala cleared his throat in a final warning. “Jeez, I’m kidding!!!”

Hau reached out a hand, holding his breath as the giant Pokémon leaned down low to get eye level with him. With a frightened squeak the child looked away, his eyes screwed shut. Golisopod looked up at its trainer for confirmation. Guzma nodded.

Hau laughed when he felt whisker-like appendages tickling his palm.

Later as the sun started to set, you took a sip from your drink, watching Golisopod running around the garden with Hau on its back. Hala was explaining their new living situation a little more clearly than his grandson had, but your attention was elsewhere.

Guzma was back to chopping wood, his back to you. His wide back. Every muscle and sinew flexing—

Hala could've picked a worse houseguest, you figured.

* * *

"How'd you get your hair so white, mister Guzma?" Hau was making a nuisance of himself over dinner, and you had to keep from chuckling as he reached across the table, fluffing the man's hair.

"Toilet bleach."

You snorted into your Pinap juice.

"But you gotta use fabric softener straight after, or your hair'll break off." Guzma gave your a withering look when you made a honking sound. "I ain't jokin', princess." The look he was giving you meant that he really was serious.

“Y’know you could just go to a salon.” You muttered, taking another sip.

”Oh yeah, I can see the newspapers now; Team Skull’s ex-leader gets cut and blow-dry.”

”Team Skull..?”

Articles you’d seen online some months ago suddenly came back to you; the entire fiasco had happened while you were overseas, and you had enough to deal with during your work placement to keep abreast of all the news back home.

You recalled one article that had caught your eye, however. The young thug with white hair and his team of bug type Pokémon. You gave Hala a pointed look, the older man laughing nervously.

”You left that part out of the story earlier...”

”I didn’t think it relevant.” Hala smiled shyly.

Guzma huffed, resisting the urge to shove Hau away as the kid moved to sit beside him.

”Mister Guzma’s changed. He’s good now.” Guzma gave him a tired frown, though his heart wasn’t really in it.

You weren’t about to argue. Between Guzma’s defeated smile, and Hau’s beaming eyes, you weren’t getting the worst feeling in the world about the guy. Hala could more than defend himself and his home. Not to mention he was one of the best judges of character you knew.

“Good.” You nodded, smiling.

When everyone was full, and Hau was dozing on a nearby beanbag chair, did you thank Hala for the lovely dinner.

You said your goodbyes, readjusting your satchel in the hallway.

Hala said you were welcome any time, which of course you already knew. You patted his back as he gave you a Bewear hug, grateful for the friendship, but hoping for your spine’s sake that it would be over soon.

Guzma shot you a curious glance as you left through the front door. As he turned away, you chanced a double-take.

Yeah, gang leader or not, the guy looked good...

* * *

It wasn't long before Guzma's new living arrangements started causing friction.

It was as if the locals were just waiting for him to slip up at every turn; constantly dropping either throwaway comments and jibes, or casting unimpressed — or even downright hateful looks his way. Daring him to snap and revert to type.

To begin with, Guzma didn't want to give them the satisfaction. Be the bigger man; the better man. But the longer it continued, the more self control it took not to just go apeshit. He was having far too many daydreams of smashing people's windows in or simply unleashing every bug Pokémon he owned on the deserving residents.

Hala had tried his best to smooth things over. He even managed to talk some of his neighbours into letting Guzma tackle any menial tasks they needed doing around the home. Though one elderly woman had warmed to the young man, the rest of Iki Town's residents weren't so forgiving.

And Hala didn't know how much longer it would take for the people of Alola to forgive Guzma — if they ever forgave him at all.

He'd imagined that putting the youth under everyone's noses would get the ball rolling a little quicker. But if anything, things seemed to be getting worse. Even he was getting dirty looks now for housing Guzma in the first place.

"No one wants me here, old man." Guzma had huffed, his bag slung around his shoulder as he made for the door. It was far too late for him to be making tracks, Hala worried.

"You just have to give it more time." The kahuna didn't even believe his own words; but what could he say to make this better? The truth certainly wouldn't help matters...

"You said that after the first two weeks." A month and a half had passed since Guzma had begrudgingly agreed to this. His roots were coming in thick, the lengths of his hair scooped up into a ponytail. Just until he cut it, of course. Not that he liked the way it looked or anything...

"Guzma, I promised Nanu that I'd take care of you—" Hala ignored the petulant look on the other man's face. "Someone has to. You're doing so well; don't throw it all away now!"

A bitter smirk stretched Guzma's lips.

"Aw, but think of how happy it’ll make everyone here!" Theatrical, hiding his pain Guzma was back. “Ain’t that what I’m meant to be doing anyway?”

”Not at the expense of yourself!”

Guzma’s facade flickered for a moment, his expression one of surprise.

”You’re worth more than these people think you are. More than **you** think you are!”

”You’re breakin’ my heart, old man, really...” Guzma joked, blinking away the sting of tears to come. Why did someone believing in you hurt worse than when they called you a failure?

There was a sudden creak, and both men turned to see Hau in his pyjamas, at the top of the staircase.

”Mister Guzma, where are you going?”

Guzma felt an honest to god pang of guilt — one of the first he’d felt in years. He looked at Hala, his eyes begging the man to come up with an excuse.

”Hau’oli City.”

Guzma and Hau both eyed the kahuna with confusion.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are the best 😍🖤


End file.
